Vietnam releases dissident after more than 3 years

HANOI — An official says a Vietnamese pro-democracy activist has been
released after serving three and a half years in prison for spreading
anti-communist information.

he official at the Z30A prison in southern Dong Nai province lawyer Nguyen
Bac Truyen was freed on Monday and taken home by his family members. The
official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to
release the information.

Truyen, member of the banned People's Democratic Party, was sentenced to
four years in prison in May 2007 and an appeal court three months later reduced
the term by six months.

Two other members of his party were sentenced to three and five years
respectively on the same charges.